East Coast Appetite

The final weeks before marathon training

July 8, 2016Posted in ClassPass, Running, TrainingTagged ClassPass, Running, Training1 Comment

I haven’t run a race since the Mini 10K, but I’ve been trying to build my base mileage before I start marathon training for NYCM (November 6th). I’m also still a ClassPass member and am now part of the Core pan, where I can take up to 10 classes per month. Plus I still have a gym membership at Blink, but I think the last time I stopped in was to stretch before taking a Mile High Run Club class back in May. I know, I know. What happened to my pull-up goals? I guess they’re on hold for now. I feel like I’ve been doing enough bodyweight during all my barre classes that I’m still pretty strong overall. Just not pull-up strong yet.

I am somewhere between a Robin Scherbatsky and an Elaine Benes at the gym. Less grunting than Robin, less preening than Elaine.

But back to running and ClassPass. In June, I took 5 barre classes and 2 spin classes and logged 40something miles. Not bad, but I will eventually be running 40+ miles in a week. I’m trying not to add too much of any one thing in my running (whether that be miles, hills, or speed) in fear of tweaking my bursitis. I’m optimistic but still nervous about marathon training overall. I’m hoping to find a half marathon within a couple weeks of Labor Day to fit into my training plan (Hal Higdon Novice 2 but also buying into NYRR’s Virtual Trainer) and am taking suggestions.

I also played some tennis the other week at the West Side Tennis Club. Remember when I took tennis lessons on a clay court in summer 2011? Yeah, my backhand and racket haven’t seen much time on the courts since. I’m hoping to take some tennis clinics through ClassPass in the upcoming weeks to improve a smidge.

I’m going to hit publish on this post even though I feel like I have so many more words possible, (both on marathon training but mainly this week’s news events, but I feel like I’ve largely said my piece on Twitter and Facebook and now need to work on being a more active ally IRL.

Mini 10K Recap

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016Posted in NYC, Race Recaps, RunningTagged 10K, NYC, Races, Running2 Comments

After realizing I wouldn’t quite be in the shape I wanted for the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, I decided that the Mini 10K on June 11th would give me a much-needed extra 4 weeks of training along with some girl power. I’ve run one other (almost but actually not entirely) women-only race, last October’s Nike Women Half Marathon in San Francisco. I was looking forward to the sisterhood vibes with the bonus of some of our club’s men setting up a cheering section. Unfortunately, I developed a sore throat the weekend after my birthday (June 2nd) then got major congestion that Monday and Tuesday. Things had cleared up by race day, but I still had a lot of phlegm.

I (we?) got so lucky with the weather; 63 degrees with 63% humidity, but I knew the humidity and temperature would keep rising throughout the day. I dropped off my stuff (post-race brunch means checking a bag for me, plus I still like to wear a layer there since it’s cooler in the morning), then I found a teammate in the corrals. On the way, a teammate and I watched the Girls’ Race and also spotted Molly Huddle. If we’re being honest, I got a little emotional. A teammate had posted a brief synopsis of this event (started in 1972 as the first women’s race; Katherine Switzer helped start it in her fight for women’s inclusion in racing, this Runner’s World article helps illuminate more). The history of women in sport, and especially in running, tends to get me choked up. Case in point: I can’t re-watch the U.S. Women’s 4 x 100 relay team win and set a world record at the 2012 Olympics without crying a little. I can not wait for the Olympics Trials in early July! Said teammate Gabby is a preschool teacher and I used to teach, so we were so happy for the girls running the 2.25 mile Girls’ Run race. We cheered for them and knew that soon we would be cruising down the same finish route.

I was hoping to PR, but knew that my congestion might get the better of me. This was only my 5th 10K ever, as I’m still fairly new to distance racing (my first was in December 2014 and that was the longest distance I’d raced at that point). I really like this distance because of its unique pacing challenges. I have to pace myself and keep something in the tank more than a 5K, but can try for faster speeds than half marathon pace (which admittedly, I would still like to improve upon greatly). Interestingly, NYRR’s new corral system use’s Hill Runner’s pace predictor and according to my 5K PR, I should be able to run a 10K in 54:45. But I’m nowhere close to that (yet). I’m slowly trying to hit more consistent splits of 9:15, then hope to shoot for 9:00 event then break into the upper 8’s. I think I’m just a proportionately faster “shorter” distance person, but am trying to work on races longer than 5Ks this year. I hope to see improvements while marathon training for sure, even though my goal for that is very conservative.

On with the race: It was most of the usual Central Park loop, but we started on Fifth Avenue instead of the loop itself. It was pretty crowded at first but I started to fall into a groove by the time we passed The Met front steps, then entered the park at 90th St.

My paces for the first two miles were the same and very close to my A Goal pace (9:18) according to my Garmin. Unfortunately, both parts of Harlem Hill got the better of me. I slowed way down and my legs felt heavy on the flat parts. I chugged some water and Gatorade while sort of shuffling past the aid stations. I tried to open my stride on the downhill but wasn’t very successful. I figured a PR was out of my reach but chose to press on hard because I knew the PPTC cheer section would be on the last mile. Can’t slow down then! I’m chuckling at my grade adjusted paces from Strava because that 9:47 really does feel like a 9:07, but it’s not. I ran the tangents pretty well and only added on 0.07, as opposed to a full 0.1 from my last Central Park 10K.

I high-fived the cheerers and felt great on the last mile and was able to pick up the pace, but not sprint it in.

My final time was 58:36, which is a solid enough shave off my 59:04 from the NYCRuns Halloween 10K in October.

“Will you accept this carnation?” Bachelor joke material

I got my medal from a volunteer teammate, picked up a carnation (the top of which later got lobbed off in my backpack) and grabbed an apple instead of a pink bagel. After stretching and relaxing in the shade with teammates, I ate an enormous Juicy Lucy burger at brunch. I was one of many PRs Saturday, which gets me jazzed for the next one.

May Workouts and Training Recap

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016Posted in ClassPass, TrainingLeave a comment

ClassPass emailed all NYC users (subscribers?) April 27th to let us know of an upcoming price change for monthly unlimited packages. They’re creating the Core membership and keeping it the same $125 a month but with a maximum 10 classes a month (the big up was to $190 for monthly unlimited, which is $200/month for new users). I crunched the numbers from the past 8 months of ClassPass and have only ever taken more than 10x/month once. So safe to say, I think the Core membership will work out great for me. If anything, I might be more motivated to take the full 10 classes a month. I’ve also kept my Blink membership, which really comes in handy due to their expanding number of locations around the city. I’m going to re-assess my membership situation for both once I’m deep into marathon training and/or if I move apartments at the end of summer.

In May, I ran 30.5 miles. I haven’t hit that kind of mileage since September 2015. But of course I am somewhat terrified of the realization that I will soon be running up to, around, and even more than 30 miles in a week when marathon training. 7.3 of those miles were official NYRR races in Central Park, 4.8 were on a treadmill at Mile High Run Club, and half included my running backpack. I also took a Spibelt for a spin on a late-morning hot training run. I actually appreciated the way my keys and phone jingled against the small of my back, alerting people to my presence.

I took 8 classes on ClassPass, including 5 barre and 2 spin. I really like the strength and stretching aspects of barre. I’ve tried classes at PureBarre (3 of their Brooklyn locations), The Bar Method, and now FlyBarre. Most have a similar flow for class and save the glute bridges for the end. I like to fire up the glutes, stretch, then head out for a short run home or to the subway after to take advantage. Outside of ClassPass, I redeemed a voucher for a free SoulCycle class that I won through bar trivia. This was my second SoulCycle class ever and it felt more aggressive (in a good way) than my previous one. Due to the humid day and temperature in the room, there was a lot of face sweating going on.

I also went on a hike back in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. I was relatively pressed for time and hiking alone on a Friday afternoon, so I opted for the Dark Hollow Falls hike. I drove my rental car straight from Reagan to SNP then geared up and ate lunch at the Big Meadows Lodge after stopping by the Byrd Visitor Center to nab a passport and getting a cancellation stamp. I read on the trail log that a black bear and her three cubs had been spotted almost daily that week and tried to keep an eye out for them.

One national park down, many more to go
Awkward rock posing aside, the falls were beautiful

Brooks Pure Cadence 4 (aka my short distance shoes), getting a little muddy

I ran 4 miles along the Roanoke River as well and damn, do I love a good towpath. All of my May workouts got me very excited for future races.

Hello, Roanoke Star! I had wanted to hike up to it but was pressed for time.

UAE Healthy Kidney 10K Recap

May 20, 2016May 20, 2016Posted in Race Recaps, RunningTagged 10K, NYC, Races, Running1 Comment

When I realized back in March that I maybe was really sort of mostly healed and could run again, I signed up for this race, hoping for redemption from the 2015 version. That day was a sweaty slog through 6.2 miles of humidity and strong sun (historical weather site says 75 and 71% humidity). This Saturday was luckily 68 degrees with 70% humidity. I was unprepared for the sun (time to start running with a visor?) but the temperature felt pleasant overall.

The view of Bethesda Terrace was very different than last week’s pouring rain and features many adorable off-leash dogs.

I arrived early (around an hour before the start) and got my on-demand bib very quick. I spent my last $3 cash on a blue Gatorade from a cart then checked my bag and ran into some friends and teammates. I forgot how big this race was and how far the start was from the race village. I headed to the corrals 16 minutes before the start and luckily met up with and spotted many similarly paced teammates. We had a nice little pod of 5 that started together and got called out by the announcer.

The first 5K went really well but I remember this also being the strongest part last year before I fell apart in the second half.

I eschewed water the first few miles which was probably unwise, but I really had to pee and was feeling quite hydrated already thanks to the first half of that blue Gatorade (blue is the only flavor I like, but either the regular or the frosty blue will do).

My first mile was slow as planned and I was very proud of my second and third miles because they still felt pretty loose and easy. My tangents were getting worse each mile from the tangents and running around people in the crowd so I tried to remind myself there would likely be an extra 0.2 total.

Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 9.42.52 PM — My splits make a W shape but the grade-adjusted tell more of a story

The fourth mile is where the semi-struggle began. I knew I couldn’t hang on to my breezy lower 9:00 paces and there were lots of sunny spots, so I slowed my roll. I grabbed some water at each of the last 3 water stations and managed to dump some on the top of my head in the worst of the sun. After the Mile 5 marker, I knew I could push the pace a bit more and try to enjoy the rolling hills. Crowds increased on the South side of the park but it was mainly confused tourists hoping to cross the road. I sprinted in the last 0.2 in part because I saw a teammate and wanted to reel her in.

Happily reunited with teammates after collecting our medals

Overall, this UAE 10K went much better than last year’s where I had my worst 10K ever. I like this distance and am hoping to whittle down my PR for the Mini 10K next month. More reporting on my workouts (McMillan’s and otherwise) to come.

I’m going to be out of town this weekend and have the biggest Brooklyn Half FOMO. To everyone racing (and to those cheering), have so much fun! I hope to get in next year but might also volunteer for a guaranteed spot in 2018 (it feels so weird to type out dates that far in advance. Let’s figure out when I’m running this darn marathon first).

Training and General Update Post and brief Japan Day Run race recap

May 13, 2016May 13, 2016Posted in ClassPass, Race Recaps, Running, TrainingTagged 4 Miler, ClassPass, Races, Running, Training2 Comments

Now that I’m in better physical health and running semi-regularly again and racing, I feel very energized about the next few months of running. Jazzed, even. But I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, knowing that I need to prioritize preventing re-injury and trying to make it to the start of mid-July marathon training for NYCM, much less that November 6th actual date. I ran (haha) an analysis via my data on Strava and MapMyRun (which I used for a few years before getting my Garmin 220 in June 2015) to see what my highest weekly and monthly mileage is historically. I knew that my mileage never got as high as it should have been for any of my half marathons in 2015 due to both injury and falling off my training plans. I have a tendency to cut long runs short and skip that 3rd or 4th run of the week, even when uninjured. I also don’t document my cross-training particularly well digitally, but all those ClassPass spin sessions and strength at Blink lives on in my paper planners, Google Calendar, and vaguely in my memory. All of the apps are interconnected in that Garmin uploads to Strava and Strava uploads to MapMyRun and MyFitnessPal. I’m going to try to increase the inputting of my spin sessions going forward since FlyWheel tells you how many miles you biked.

For my paper planner, I bought a couple sets of these running and barbell stickers from FayeCreates’ Etsy. This is the only decoration my planner (a $15 one from Sugar Paper’s Target collection, I might add) receives. But it’s so satisfying to see an array of pastel running stick figures and weights fill up my calendar, especially now that I’m running more frequently. This is also where I let you all know that I’m fascinated by planner communities, having once been part of (but never posting to) the LiveJournal community for organizers and sometimes browsing the YouTube planner gurus.

The general update is that I DNS the Run As One 4 Miler.I was coming off a very busy week and hadn’t slept well that Friday night (the night before the night before the race is a crucial sleep night, right?) and was dogsitting Elle’s pup Bandit and just wasn’t feeling it. Had much more fun sleeping in and doing a brief run on my way to Smorgasburg with some runner friends in Prospect Park. I got to eat my beloved Outer Borough again, try some fries with duck confit on top, and sample a few flavors of Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Still on my must-try list are Big Mozz’s mozzerella sticks, Jianbing, and Wowfulls. I think I can skip the rainbow cake, but let me know if it’s any good.

I did, however, end up completing the Japan Run on Sunday, May 8th. The skies opened up and poured down rain as I was picking up my bib at 7:15AM. A bunch of us hung out under the Bethesda Terrace and I ran into a PPTC Teammate then checked my bag and hid in the Meet Hello Kitty tent. Sadly, Hello Kitty didn’t appear until after the race and I wasn’t feeling very photogenic.

They let up for the first couple miles of the race, then began pouring again during the final mile. My third mile had been slower than I planned and I knew I was no longer in the running for a PR (had been feeling hopeful after the first 2 miles but my fitness just isn’t there yet). I had to remove my glasses and put them in my jacket pocket because they became too foggy and streaky for me to see. I managed not to run into any fellow racers since my vision isn’t too bad, and had a great sprint finish. NYRR and MarathonFoto did not capture any pictures of me (probably for the best). There was a guy running with his long hair down and in only a leopard-print Speedo who passed me on the third mile. I had hoped to be in some of his pictures but didn’t make it.

My next race is the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K. I had originally wanted this to be a PR attempt, but I think I’m going to instead shoot for the Mini 10K on June 11th instead. That’ll give me enough time to increase my long, slow runs and also try some of the mile repeat 10K workouts from McMillan. I’ll be gambling with the weather but am hoping to be out there more often in heat and humidity in the next month anyway. I feel like my barre and strength classes and spin are helping me get stronger (I kind of love forearm plank pushups now?), so we will see.

Training Update

April 15, 2016April 14, 2016Posted in TrainingTagged Manhattan, Running1 Comment

Several days after the high from the Cherry Blossom 5K wore off, I was feeling pretty good. Aggressively ignoring the 10% rule, I joined my team for a Brooklyn Half training run on Saturday, April 9th. There were 5 mile and 8 mile options and free swag from New Balance, so I showed up at 7:50am, already having done my PT-prescribed dynamic warm-up and foam rolling. I obviously chose the 5 mile run and jumped in the 10:30 mile pace group with some friends. And it went really well! The hill was rough but I had been chatting with a potential member for the third and fourth miles, so it was a nice distraction. I forgot to stop my Garmin at the top after we paused to coordinate breaking off and heading to the coffee shop, but my splits seemed pretty even. I foam rolled and stretched plenty after, bookmarked a 9am spin class for Sunday, and rested on the couch, feeling accomplished and optimistic and full of endorphins.

So obviously I signed up for some races.

I’m of course already signed up for this year’s NYC Marathon, since you have to pay NYRR the big buck$ in February. I hope to know early on in training whether or not I’ll be able to run it and plan to consult with a sports doctor and my PT accordingly. So I figured I should set my sights on some shorter distances for spring.

I’ll be running the Run as One 4 Miler on Sunday, April 24th in honor of my late Uncle Werner. I hadn’t realized last year that this race’s charitable contributions go toward a foundation that supports lung cancer research, specifically named in honor of a never-smoker like my uncle. I donated some extra money to the cause in my NYRR cart. The Run as One is a 4-miler, which I feel tentatively positive about, training-wise. I can probably PR (my last one was February 2015), but hopefully just have a positive race with a meaningful (and personal) cause.

I also want to try for a new 10K PR. I just missed out on the Queens 10K signup, so I bought in to the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K on May 14. I had such a miserable time last year and am hoping for redemption. It’s 2 weeks earlier this year, but I will still try to prepare for potential humidity and the waterless mile 5 water station. I might take a crack at the Mini 10K as well, but mid-June feels like an awful long ways from here. I’m sort of surprised this weekend’s More/Shape Women’s Half Marathon hasn’t sold out yet. I’d been hoping that would be my spring goal half (or the NYC Runs Queens Half on the same day) after a strong showing at the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, but obviously that didn’t come to fruition. Maybe a fall half will happen? Maybe I’ll fall in love with summer racing? Possibly I’ll travel 3,000 miles for a race again? No telling.

Weekly training recaps to come, I suppose. When did I even start my weeks again?

Cherry Blossom 5K Recap

April 11, 2016April 11, 2016Posted in Race RecapsTagged 10 Miles, Cherry Blossom, Races, RunningLeave a comment

Yes, you read that correctly. I ran a race. Also, it was not the race I originally signed up for (that would be the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, not the “5K Run/Walk”). But after 5 months of no racing (time has flown! and yet gone so slowly), it felt great to race again.

It was free to switch to the 5K ahead of time, but my bib from the 10 Miler remained the same. I would have been in the light blue corral because I was planning to go for a (high) 1:20something time back when I entered the lottery in December. I had foolishly assumed that regular physical therapy in addition to a grueling ClassPass schedule and gym time could help me shave a minute per mile off my Bronx 10 Mile time or keep my 10K pace for an additional 4. We may never know! I deferred my Broad Street Run entry to 2017 and am no longer planning on a spring half, so the 10 mile distance will have to wait until I am marathon training this summer and fall (or not).

Back to the recap. I went with two teammates from NYC and we hopped to the expo late morning. One was also running the 5K with me and the other was completing the 10.

The National Building Museum was beautiful and I need to come back to see the regular exhibits.

Meb was speaking, so we watched him then picked up our bibs, sadly missing the cutoff to get in the line for his autograph. We had paid extra for the tech tshirt and they’re so nice! A well-fitting maroon New Balance v-neck (for ladies) with a Capitol building visually constructed out of cherry blossoms. We had also paid extra for race medals, assuming we would be running the 10 Miler. Oh well.

Hi Meb!

Then there was shopping. This race expo, held at the National Building Museum, had over a dozen vendors of the usual performance wear, shoes, and accessories. I made a stop at The Stick’s booth for some muscle relief, then we bought coordinating long-sleeve New Balance tech shirts with the logo. I’m still reasonably well stocked with the basics for spring running and didn’t end up needing a vest or down-filled jacket for winter training since I wasn’t really running. I do have a cool new running backpack for run commuting and bringing essentials to the gym, but that’s been my only 2016 gear purchase so far.

Running backpack picture not in action on Saturday at the National Portrait Gallery.

Bought this and wore it on the cold bus ride home.

Morning of the race, the winds were whipping. I wore a tech long-sleeve with a windbreaker (Lululemon Go the Distance) over it, and longer Nike crops. I brought and wore my Brooks Ravennas because I usually run shorter distances (4 miles and under) in my Brooks Pure Cadences, but figured I could use the extra support of the Ravennas for my first race back. I found myself really wishing I had purchased a pair of running gloves this winter. Or just some throwaway gloves. I had my bare hands jammed in my jacket pockets during most of the walk to the start and pre-race time, but it wasn’t enough.

“Corral” selfie (there were no corrals). They let people have heat sheets before the race but then they had to give them back. Also, dude to the left was in 4th as of the bridge, so I guess we weren’t too, too far back.

We waited until the 10 mile runners were off the 5K part of the course and the gun went off right at 8:40am. The 5K was a short and simple out-and-back from the staging area, over the bridge, a small loop then return. My teammate Tanya lined up not too far from the start and apparently had an 18 second delay from the gun to our start. We’re both coming back from injuries and kept the pace slow for the first mile how our respective knees and butt/hamstring felt. Once on the bridge, we were feeling pretty good (there was only a tiny slope to get on it). We saw the leaders pass us after the turnaround with huge lead times (the Belgian guy was flying and won the race). I had been “drafting” a couple for about half a mile, but finally decided to pass. We pressed the pace pretty easily from 10:00 to 9:25 for the second mile.

Once off the bridge and after our second mile, we knew we could pick up the pace safely. And we did. I was breathing a bit more heavily but held steady close to 8:30 then figured 8:00 for the last half mile should be fine, reasoning to myself that all my spin classes were at least this long and I always have something left in the tank for the final sprints there. Tanya suggested I go on ahead in the last quarter mile, then I flagged a bit before sprinting in the finish. I ended up with a 28:16 which is a couple minutes off from my PR, but still pretty amazing considering my injury status.

There were many other folks in this race who also had 10 mile bibs as well, but I assume we were a fun mix of injured and untrained. I was the 70th female and 159th total out of 1,770. RunPix has no photos of me from the race, but they have a fun little infographic showing me way toward the front of the pack. Top 5% of women in a race? I’ll take it. Now to actually recover and get faster.

We walked back to our hotel as a cooldown and I was honestly thinking about running it in, as my energy was still pretty high and I wasn’t sore yet. We’d had Nando’s for lunch Saturday and I’d stuffed myself with pretzel bread at District Commons the night before, so a huge plate of Roti at Union Station ended up being my main meal after. It felt good to eat something lighter and full of veggies after a race. I also partook in my recent favorite DC-area Starbucks tradition of getting Sweet Potato Loaf with my iced coffee before getting on the bus home. I wish we had this stuff in NYC Starbucks, but I usually content myself with cinnamon swirl coffee cake.

Desserts and snacks posts to come along with ClassPass updates.

January-March Injury Update

March 6, 2016Posted in ClassPass, RunningTagged ClassPass, Running2 Comments

I think the title of this post says it all. I started drafting it in January during twice-weekly physical therapy. I tried a 0.75 mile jog in early January and felt fine during (great, even!) but despite stretching after, my hamstring was very aggravated the next couple days. I gave it another 4 weeks and tried a mile on Super Bowl Sunday but was met with the same effects the week after. In the time since, I read something, somewhere, about people performing marathon training on largely on an elliptical just to reduce impact. While I have no plans to take it that far in terms of mileage, I’ve decided to incorporate the elliptical and hopefully a super cushioned treadmill into my game plan, along with the Alter-G at my PT’s office. I’m happy to report that I ran 6.5 miles on the elliptical this week (with 2 runs and around a 6 mph pace). Pain-free.

I downgraded my Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (in DC) entry to the 5K and while I may not PR, I’m really excited to be doing a race for the first time since Halloween. After that, I can better assess my ability to run the Broad Street Run (also a 10 miler, in Philadelphia) on May 1.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2016:

the possibility of a late spring half (Brooklyn is out but maybe something else in that time period)
Run commuting to/from work (new job has showers! Also it’s about time I get a running backpack with a water bladder.)
NYCM training? I had to pay for the registration (goodbye $$), but am still a ways out from being able to assess whether it’s going to happen or not
Trying more of the workouts and moves from (Dr.) Jordan Metzl’s book Running Strong.

ClassPass updates and reviews to come. The new job has made me switch up my gym and class routine and locations quite a bit and I’ve struggled to get into my preferred spin days and times. On the plus side, I’ve been trying more yoga classes and have improved my planking and push-ups thanks to barre classes.

December Injury Update

December 18, 2015January 28, 2016Posted in ClassPass, Cycling, RunningTagged ClassPass, cycling, Running1 Comment

So, the rest of November and all of December has been busy for me, but not with running. I stopped after the 10/31 10K to give my Achilles tendinitis some rest. I’m delighted to report that pain there has eased off, but unfortunately I have been experiencing more pain in my right hamstring and glute (and piriformis). I finally went to a renowned sports doctor (musculoskeletal care and all) and he diagnosed me with ischeogluteal bursitis. So I’m not running for the rest of the year. Come January 1, 2016, I plan to dip my toe back into it (or do a Polar Bear Plunge in Coney Island, effectively dipping my toes into the Atlantic Ocean after a quick sprint on the beach) slowly.

I wisely did not sign up for any winter races or early spring ones. I’m hoping to be well enough to do the Cherry Blossom 10 miler (I won lottery entry) in early April, then squeeze in either a later April half or the Brooklyn Half May 21. My new physical therapist assures me this is all quite possible.

I’ve been filling my running time with other fitness, mainly through ClassPass. I’m at the 3 times a month maximum at RowHouse and approaching it at Flywheel. I’ve also taken a few dance classes with friends. Despite my few years dabbling in ballet, tap, and jazz back in elementary school, picking up hip hop dance choreography is not one of my strong suits. It’s more fun with friends because I can laugh at myself and my inability to shake it during the Hotline Bling Remix.

I also have hopped on a real bicycle (not just stationary ones in spin class). I rode from TriBeCa to 125th St. and back with a friend during the amazing weather this past weekend, where I took the picture above. I’m coming for you, George Washington Bridge and Little Red Kighthouse! I rode 15.5 miles roundtrip (and usually hit over 20 miles during spin class), so actually going somewhere will feel great in that distance will feel great. I just had to add a cycling tag to this post because this was only my 4th time out on the bike this fall, but I foresee more of it in my future (weather cooperating).

ClassPass Adventures in November

November 23, 2015December 7, 2015Posted in ClassPass, NYCTagged ClassPass, NYCLeave a comment

After my 10K on 10/31, I watched the New York City marathon for hours, cheering on friends and teammates. Rather than experiencing total runner FOMO, it got me pretty pumped about (hopefully, assuming no injuries or illness) running the race next year. NYC 2016 will be my first marathon. And maybe my only marathon (famous last words for runners). But let’s focus on making it to that starting line first.

After mainly taking spin and yoga my first 2 months with ClassPass, I decided to try to branch out a little with rowing classes at Row House. Most of their classes are a Full Body 50, which incorporates different speed/strength workouts on the Erg, then a bit of HIIT and other bodyweight moves interspersed. I usually warm up with 2000m on the erg at the gym, but I’ve never tried crew or anything and didn’t know how weak my form was. I was focusing more on strokes/minute but not really noticing my split times. The instructors at Row House are very helpful on getting you to slow down and assess your form before speeding up and trying power strokes. I took my first class at the Chelsea location and was sore in my arms and shoulders for 2 days after. I immediately signed up for more classes at the Columbus Circle location with Matt. Both studios are clean and modern (if a bit cramped in the locker room/bathroom areas) and have good playlists pumping along with the ability to dim the lights in crucial push moments. The workout has left me around a 7 on a scale from 1 to dripping with sweat. I’m taking another Row House Full Body 50 on the morning of Black Friday, which I assume will shake me out of my post-Thanksgiving slump.

I finally tried Flywheel at the Chelsea location and was a fan. my instructor Johnny was super high-energy and I ended up in the front row, so I felt like I was giving some energy right back. I came in 3rd in the class, which made me want to work even harder the next time. I’m having the best time reading Flywheel bios. What would mine say? I also love the “Never Coast” shirts and gear, which is amusing since I really enjoy coasting while on a real bike outside. My experience fly-ing so far makes me want to try FlyBarre as well since I’ve only been to PureBarre and have yet to experience much barre variation.

SURFBORT.

My most outside-the-box ClassPass experience so far has been at SurfSet, where you work out on surfboards that sit on top of 3 large balls. You use your core a lot to stabilize while doing the moves (lunges, planks, push ups, etc). I left feeling sore in my core after my first class, then had some thigh DOMS more after my second. The instructors (Diana and Aaron) are super helpful for newbies and will offer modifications for those who want to keep it simple or people who feel comfortable and want to kick it up a notch. And yes, they will totally take your picture on a surfboard for you afterward.